Tag Team
by MagPie003
Summary: Audrey is a wreck after the trauma she went through in 2x06.  Nathan and Duke work together to bring her back from the edge.  Later chapters will result in Nathan x Audrey.  Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

The three men continued drinking in silence facing different directions. Chris knew it had everything and nothing to do with him. No matter. He was only staying long enough to say goodbye to Audrey. It was too bad, really. He'd liked her. Things had been fun while they lasted. While he would miss her, he wouldn't miss the troubles that followed the woman at every turn. He also wouldn't miss her insatiable need to conquer them. Dating a hero wasn't something he was cut out for. Especially a hero to a town he had grown to despise over the years.

The soft sound of a woman's footsteps let him know she had come back inside. Best to do this quickly. He needed to pack and she needed to rest.

"Well, gentlemen, I have a plane to catch." He said, getting off the bar stool. Turning to Audrey he smiled and offered his hand.

"Walk me to the car?"

"Sure," she replied with a smile that didn't go farther than her lips. Taking his hand, she followed him out the door into the lot. Duke and Nathan both let out a sigh of relief when they had left.

"You want to tell me what's going on here?" Duke asked, handing Nathan another beer. The interim chief did his best to bring Duke up to speed. As he did, the normally smug man's face became more and more perplexed.

"So, let me get this straight: She just went through the same day five times? And she had to watch each of us die?"

"Pretty much." Nathan replied stoically. "She's been up for five days straight."

"Hell of a bad day off." Duke commented, sipping his drink.

"She's having another day off tomorrow to make up for it if I can help it." Nathan said quietly.

"Huh, good luck with that one, buddy." Duke snorted. "I can't believe Brody's leaving her alone at a time like this!"

"She did tell him to leave for London." Nathan reminded him. The couple were too close earlier for the friends to miss their conversation. Duke looked disgusted.

"Seriously? Would you have left even if she told you to?" He exclaimed. Nathan sighed and shook his head.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about." Duke continued. "She deserves so much better."

"Or, maybe he deserves better than a walking disaster magnet." A voice said to their side. They turned to see Audrey standing in the doorway, arms wrapped tightly around her waist, staring at the floor.

"Don't talk about yourself that way!" Nathan told her sharply. Pained blue eyes snapped to his and he immediately regretted his harsh tone. Audrey looked like she was one step away from a breakdown.

"Well, what else would you call me?" She asked, tears coming into her eyes. "The town's gone to hell in a hand basket since I showed up."

"Audrey," Duke started, " that's just not-"

"Not something you need to be thinking of right now." Nathan interrupted, getting off his stool to stand in front of her. For the second time that day-that he could recall-he held her arms to steady her. The pain, confusion, and self loathing that stormed in her eyes ripped at his heart.

"Audrey, you've just survived five days of pure hell." He explained, trying to keep his tone gentle. "You're hurting, exhausted, and not thinking clearly. None of this was your fault. Do you understand me?"

"Nathan…" she tried to protest. Words died under the penetrating gaze of his grey-blue eyes.

"We're not discussing this any further until you've had some sleep." He replied, firmness creeping into his voice. "Right now, I want you to go upstairs and go to bed. Once you're rested, we'll talk all you want."

"Is that an order, Chief?" She asked, half a smile creeping onto her face.

"If that's what it will take, then yes." Nathan agreed, smiling back.

"In that case, I'll see you in the morning," she said quietly, unwrapping her arms from her torso to squeeze his hands. The look on his face spoke volumes.

As she walked past Duke to the deck stairs, he reached out to touch her shoulder. Audrey paused, looking questioningly. Duke smiled down at her and looked like he was about to say something. Changing his mind, he wrapped her in a bear hug. Shocked, but, touched, she slowly returned the embrace. After a moment, he let her go and gave her an embarrassed smile before heading behind the bar to refill his glass. Nathan waited until they heard Audrey go up the stairs before chuckling.

"I never figured you for a softy, Crocker." He teased, returning to his seat.

"She needed it," Duke replied with a nonchalant shrug. Reaching into his pants pocket, he tossed Nathan a set of car keys. Realization lit across Nathan's face as he reached out to catch them. Duke leaned in closer to him with a satisfied smirk.

"It's going to be a lot easier to make her stay home and rest tomorrow if she can't drive to work." He explained conspiratorially.

"Thanks," Nathan replied, pocketing the keys. "I'm going to wait until early tomorrow to send her a text telling her to stay home."

"You coward!" Duke accused. "I risk certain death while palming those and you're going to _text _her! You know she's going to figure out what I did."

"I'm trying to do this in a way where she won't be able to argue me out of this." Nathan defended.

"Why didn't you just tell her now?"

"She was already on the verge of tears." Nathan said, uncomfortable with that he was admitting. "If something I said ended up being the last straw, I…"

"And you accuse me of being a softy." Duke sighed. "Lord help you if you ever have daughters. They'll have you wrapped around their little fingers."

"If Audrey doesn't kill me tomorrow…"

"So, what's our plan, Chief?" Duke asked, draining his glass and thumping the wood in front of him.

"Our?" Nathan returned, incredulous.

"Nate, I'm a dead man anyways when she figures out how you got hold of her keys." Duke pointed out with a laugh.

"Thanks," he answered, chuckling, "I knew your less savory activities would be the death of you, but, I didn't think it would be like this."

"Hey, you want my help of not?"

"Okay. Here's what I'm thinking…"

_Author's note: What did you think? If you like the story line so far, please let me know. I'll add more chapters. This is only my second published fan fiction. Comments and critiques are welcome. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Phase One**

Duke poured himself another cup of coffee and stifled a yawn. It was way too early to be at the Gull. People wouldn't even be thinking of lunch for several hours. Still, there was work to do. Audrey's day off wasn't going to happen on its own. He smiled while sipping down his coffee, thinking of the planning session he and Nathan had last night. It was about time that Nathan stepped up where Audrey was concerned. If Duke had anything to say about it, Nathan was going to step way up by the end of the day.

Setting down the mug, he grabbed a flashlight and headed down to the basement. The fuse box was located in the back corner. Clicking on the flashlight, he found the main switch. All power was cut to the building with a quick flip. After a minute, he switched the power back on. With any luck, every clock in Audrey's apartment, including her alarm clock, was blinking a tell tale 12:00. He smiled, thinking of the shocked look on her face when she finally opened her eyes a few hours from now.

Nathan arrived about a half hour later. There was a delivery he had to make to the upstairs doorway before going to the station.

"Morning. Coffee's ready if you want some." Duke offered as he came in.

"Yeah, thanks," Nathan replied, settling down at the stool he'd claimed the night before. The repetitive act amused Duke a little. Nathan was still a creature of habit.

"You may want to wait a minute before drinking." He cautioned, handing Nathan a fresh mug. Nathan smiled gratefully as he took the mug and set a white paper bag on the counter top. His regular coffee tester was still asleep.

"Power cut off go okay?" Nathan asked, taking a blank card with purple lilacs on the front out of the bag.

"Someone is sleeping in today whether she likes it or not." Duke affirmed with a grin.

"Thanks, Duke. I do appreciate it."

"Hey, I'm just protecting an investment," he told him with a shrug, "something happens to her and I need to go looking for another tenant."

"Of course. That's all your concerned about." Nathan said dryly with a wry smile.

Duke muttered something into his mug that he chose to ignore. The two men sat in a comfortable silence as Nathan tried to write a message neatly onto the blank card. After a few minutes, he paused to sip his now cooled coffee. Duke took the opportunity to lean closer to read the message.

"Nathan, you wouldn't…"

"Of course not!" Nathan assured him, "She knows that as well. I'm just making a point."

"Still, it seems a little harsh." He said reproachfully.

"Well, hopefully, what's in the bag will take out the sting." Nathan replied, gesturing to the bag. Duke chuckled as he inspected the contents.

"Those will work. Though it's not exactly on the food pyramid."

"It's near the top," Nathan corrected. "Besides, that's where you come in."

"I remember. Don't worry, she won't be hopped up on sugar when you see her tonight."

"You think I should bring some flowers? You know, to cheer her up." Nathan asked. "Or, do you think that's weird with the whole Brody thing? Or maybe-"

"Don't think about it." Duke said kindly. "You know her. Trust your gut."

Nathan nodded and finished his message before sealing the card. They finished their coffees in the quiet of the early morning. Each man was wrapped in his own thoughts. One was hoping his best friend would see past his words to the care behind them. The other was wracking his brain as to how to get the two most infuriatingly-and endearingly-oblivious people he knew to realize they were meant to be together.

"I need to get going." Nathan said, rising.

"Yeah, I may as well go do," Duke replied, gathering their mugs, "Bank's opening soon and I need to do that payroll."

Nathan waited as Duke rinsed out the mugs and locked up. Outside, the sky was filled with low grey clouds. The wind was starting to pick up.

"Looks like rain," Nathan commented.

"Yes, it does. Perfect day to stay inside."

"I'll call you later," Nathan promised before quietly going up the stairs to Audrey's apartment.

"That's what they all say…"

A few hours later, Audrey rolled over and tried to focus her eyes on the clock. She had slept deeply and long. However, her night had been filled with vivid and disturbing dreams. It was as if her brain was trying to catch up on a week's worth of REM sleep in one night. While her body was rested, her mind was still churning.

The blinking numbers on her clock sent her mind from churning to full blown panic. The power must have gone out in the night. She overslept! As she jumped out of bed, she heard her phone ring. Crap! Nathan was probably wondering where she was. Fumbling through her pants pockets, she located her phone. Sure enough, Nathan's name was lighting up the screen.

"Nathan, hi, I-"

"Parker, open your door, it's starting to rain." He told her flatly before hanging up.

Thinking her partner was standing on the steps, she rushed to the door. Instead of a damp and grumpy Nathan, she was greeted by the sight of a white paper bag and card. Confused, she took them inside and brought them over to her table. She opened the card first. It had a beautiful picture on the front of purple lilacs tied with a blue ribbon. The handwriting was Nathan's.

_Audrey,_

_I know you're not going to like this, but, you're staying home today. Yesterday doesn't count as your day off for reasons I'm certain you understand. Right now, you're thinking of driving in anyways. That won't happen because your car keys have been confiscated. They'll be returned to you this evening. You're staying home today and resting. That's final. If you decide to ignore me and grab a ride, I promise you that you'll be on desk duty for a month._

_I'm trying to act in your best interest, but, I understand if you're angry with me. Hopefully, you'll forgive me when you see what's in the bag. Please keep in mind that the muffins are for breakfast and the cup cakes are for a snack later. I'll bring dinner over tonight and we'll have that talk I promised. Will miss you today. _

_Nathan._

_Audrey looked into the bag to find two blueberry muffins and a container of six perfect little cupcakes. She wanted to be furious with him. She wanted to march over to the station and give him hell. How dare he talk to her like she was a child! However, she found that she just didn't have the energy. She was still exhausted even after all that sleep. Also, he'd gone out of his way to soften his message by bringing her breakfast and her favorite treat. Desk duty was an empty and exaggerated threat. She knew that. Still, having to see him hurt or disappointed would kill any triumph she would feel over calling him on it. _

_Outside, the rain grew heavier as if the heavens were confirming her decision to give into Nathan's demand. Sighing, she pulled out one of the muffins. Like it or not, she was taking the day off. A rebellious twinge caused her to reach back into the bag and pull out the carton of cupcakes. Just because her partner didn't have the good sense to realize that they were merely sweeter muffins didn't mean that she had to deprive herself. _


	3. Chapter 3

**Phase Two**

By noon, Audrey had dressed, stripped and remade the bed, swept, cleaned the kitchen and scrubbed out the bathroom. When the rain let up, she opened the windows to air everything out. Breezes drifted through the apartment, carrying out the scents of wine, candles, and cologne. If she had been honest with herself, she would've admitted that she was trying to remove the last traces of Chris from her place. Any time a thought remotely close to Chris, or the troubles, or anything more significant than what cleaning product to use came into her head she turned the radio up again to drown it out. If she thought, she would start to feel. If she started to feel, she would start to cry. If she started to cry, she may never stop.

Someone rapped at her door as she fiddled with the radio again. After turning it back down, she went to open the door. Duke was standing on the threshold with one of his most charming grins. He was holding a takeout bag from the restaurant downstairs.

"When I saw your car still in the lot I figured you decided to stay home." He explained. "I thought you could use some lunch, and, company if you were up to it."

"Decide is a broad term, Duke." She replied, stepping out of the way to let him in. A thought tickled the back of her brain as he set out the takeout cartons on the table.

"Am I right in guessing you didn't make the decision?" Duke asked, opening one of the cartons, "I got that wrap you like, and onion rings."

"Thanks, and yes, the decision was made for me by the-hopefully-interim chief." She agreed.

"And you listened to him? I'm almost disappointed." He teased, pulling out plastic utensils and setting them out on the table.

"He left a note on my doorstep. Good news: It was attached to cupcakes. Bad news: He threatened me with desk duty if I didn't stay home." She explained with a pout.

"A note? I'm surprised you didn't drive right over to the station to give him hell." Duke commented, not meeting her gaze. The tickle in her brain formed into a full thought.

"I would've if he hadn't managed to nab my car keys last night."

"Oh, he's good." Duke chuckled sitting at the table. "He knows you."

"That he does," she said slyly, "you want some lemonade?"

"Sure that would-OW!" He yelped as she flicked his ear before turning to the kitchen. "What was that for?"

"For stealing my car keys!" She exclaimed from the kitchen.

"How are you so sure it was me?" He asked, rubbing his ear.

"Nathan can't feel my keys to palm them!" Audrey retorted, grabbing the pitcher and glasses. "I can't believe that I didn't figure it out until now."

"It wasn't the only reason I hugged you." He replied, sulking. She returned to the table with the lemonade and poured him a glass.

"That's why I'm not going to shoot you." Audrey explained, sitting across from him with a smirk.

"You know, it's not polite to threaten someone when they bring you food." He teased, popping a fry into his mouth. "So, how long are you grounded for?"

"Well, hopefully I can convince Nathan that I'm fine tonight when I see him." She replied in between bites. "Or, I may need to have you steal back my car keys."

"Audrey, I will save you from drowning, let you leave your crazed partner on my boat, and push you out of the way of homicidal plants," he declared, ticking off the items on his fingers, "but I am not, I repeat, not, going to hug Nathan Wournros for you! Do your own dirty work."

"You did it for him!" She protested.

"A far more enjoyable situation than what you're suggesting." Duke explained with a grin. "It was for our own good, you know."

"Was I that bad off?" She asked, not meeting his eyes. A few funny retorts came to Duke's mind. He pushed them aside to focus on the woman in front of him. This was something he couldn't tease her out of.

"Yeah, you were," he admitted softly. "I'd have probably taken your keys, or, done something else to keep you home even if Nathan hadn't mentioned making you take the day."

"I'm sorry I worried you two."

"Don't be," he assured her. "It goes along with the title of friend to worry about someone when they've gone through everything you have. Hell, I'm impressed that you've held up this well."

"Comes with the job I guess." She said, still not meeting his gaze as she picked apart her wrap.

Duke took a moment to look her over. While she wasn't as broken as last night, she wasn't anywhere close to healed. There were a lot of words that he could use to describe Audrey. Fragile was never one of them until last night. The beautiful glow that normally surrounded her was missing. Without it, she looked so lost. Taking a deep breath, he went over his list of tasks today where Audrey was involved: Make sure that she wasn't upset about staying home? Check. She was annoyed, but not hurt. Deep down, she was probably relieved about the forced time off. Keep her from eating cupcakes for lunch? Check. While it was obvious from the half empty carton that she had chosen the breakfast of champions, he'd made sure she had real food for lunch. Keep her from moping or beating herself up about yesterday until Nathan came over? Still working on that. He needed something to distract her. A quick look around her living area gave him something.

"Are those new shelves?" He asked, pointing to the side of the table.

"Yeah, Nathan put them together for me." She replied, putting the remains of her lunch back into the carton.

"Really? That was sweet of him."

"It was. I was planning on doing it myself," Audrey explained, "but once I had all the parts laid out, I couldn't make out the directions."

"And he insisted on coming over and assembling them for you." Duke guessed.

"He even got on my case for not asking him to do it in the first place!" She affirmed, smiling a bit at the memory.

"Sounds like Nathan." Duke chuckled. A few brightly colored game boxes on one of the shelves caught his eye. Going over to them, he picked up an old Chinese Checkers set.

"I haven't seen these in years."

"Nathan found those old games when we cleaned out the Chief's place." She said, clearing the table. "He thought that they'd be fun to play together. I recognize most of them, but, not the one you're holding."

"It's called Chinese Checkers. This was Nathan's favorite game when we were kids. You should feel special." Duke explained to her. She smiled and blushed a little. He took the reaction as a good sign as he looked around the apartment. Traces of Nathan's heart were everywhere: The book cases, her U-Maine travel mug, his beloved childhood games, even the little card and cupcakes were all signs of his love for Audrey.

'Oh, sweetheart, you are so clueless,' he thought, smiling fondly at the woman at the table. An idea popped into his brain as the rain began to fall again. He and Nate had spent many rainy afternoons playing those games.

"Let me show you how to play this."

"Don't you have a restaurant to manage?" She asked.

"The restaurant can wait," he replied, sitting back down across from her. "Besides, if you can beat him at this, it will be proof that you're OK to work."

"That works for me!"

"Make sure you let him choose the blue marbles. They were his favorite" Duke cautioned, setting up the game.

"See, I knew you were on my side." She teased.

Audrey picked up on the game quickly. After a few rounds, she was able to win by setting up her marbles in little chains so that she could 'jump' easily to Duke's side. Her method amused him because it was the same one Nathan would use. He wanted to give her a good shake and ask if she was blind. Instead, he forced himself to use a more subtle approach. As they played, he tried to drop little comments and hints to get her mind thinking in the right direction: Times Nathan had spoken of her with pride or admiration, the way his smile was different when he was looking at her, and other tidbits of information tossed in between regular conversation. They played until it was just about the time that Nathan's shift would end at the station.

"Thanks for the company." Audrey said as they put the tray and marbles back into the box.

"Does that mean I'm forgiven for the whole key stealing thing?" He teased.

"Yes. Do it again, though, and I will shoot you!" She replied, trying to glare, but, smiling through it.

"Hope that I never have to. I also hope you'll go easier on Nate when you see him. He's just trying to show you how much he cares about you."

A flicker of realization came into Audrey's eyes at his comment. The quizzical look on her face mixed with another blush made Duke smile. He gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze as he went out the door. Hopefully, he'd planted enough seeds this afternoon to start the right ideas growing in her head. Nathan would be along soon. Duke was going to make sure the guy brought his watering can.

Author's note: I needed something in between Audrey finding the cupcakes and the promised dinner. Duke meddling seemed like a good addition. Thank you all for the reviews so far. They've been very encouraging. Now, off to work on the final part.


	4. Chapter 4

**Phase Three**

Nathan sat in his truck in the Grey Gull parking lot, listening to the rain falling on the hood and rooftop of his truck. He closed his eyes and tried to let the sound soothe him. It was just dinner with Audrey. There was absolutely no reason at all he should be this nervous about spending a quiet evening with his partner. She was going through a difficult time and it was his job to be there for her.

There wasn't anything to it. He was just going to go cheer up a sad friend. If that was the case, why couldn't he move? Why was he sitting there desperately trying to figure out what to say to a woman he talked to every day? The rain was dying down; he really should get up there. The passenger door opened, interrupting his rambling thoughts. In stepped a damp Duke Crocker.

"You never did call."

"Sorry. It was a busy day.." Nathan apologized.

"Paperwork?"

"Mountains," he confirmed with a sigh. "I was one step away from calling you and begging you to commit a petty crime for me to investigate."

"While handcuffs are always a fun accessory, I'd have declined." Duke replied with a smirk. "I was already on a risky assignment."

"How did that go?"

"My ear still smarts where she got me." Duke complained with an exaggerated pout.

"I take it that I'm looking forward to a similar fate?" Nathan asked with a laugh.

"See, that's the part that gets me," Duke sulked. "I merely take her keys and she's so ticked off that she flicks my ear and threatens to shoot me. Stop laughing; it's a sensitive part of the body! You forbid her to go to work when you know she hates taking time off. Then, you go so far as to threaten to lock her to her desk for a month. That's a fate worse than death to someone like Audrey. Yet, she's not mad at you at all! I could've sworn she thought what you did was sweet."

"You're kidding me, right?" Nathan asked, eyebrow raised.

"I kid you not! She would even glance at that card you left with the cupcakes every now and then like it was some sort of valentine." Duke harrumphed, pretending to be insulted by the whole ordeal. The bemused, hopeful look on Nathan's face told him that his point had been made.

"How was she when you left?"

"She was okay, but, she wasn't Audrey. She ate, she argued with me, she even teased me back a bit, but, she wasn't Audrey."

:I hear you," Nathan sighed. "Well, I guess I better go see if Parker-"

"Audrey!" Duke corrected firmly. "Tonight, she isn't 'Parker'. She's not a cop, she's not a colleague, and she's not your partner. Tonight, she's Audrey. She's your friend and she's hurting. You're the one who's going to make it better whether that means holding her while she cries, getting wasted, arguing it out with her, or staying up all night watching bad comedies."

"Right," Nathan agreed, nodding. "Thanks, Duke."

"Don't mention it. Now, stop acting like a sixteen year old picking up his homecoming date and get upstairs!"

Nathan smiled ruefully at the allusion. The man next to him knew him far better than he would ever admit. Grabbing the bag holding dinner and a smaller bag, he finally exited the car. Duke followed suit.

"I'm heading back to my boat. Call me if you need anything!"

Nathan couldn't imagine anything more awkward than calling Duke for help in the middle of his dinner with Audrey. Still, he appreciated the offer. Audrey must have heard him coming up the stairs because she answered by the second knock. Smiling shyly, she let him in and followed as he brought the bags to the kitchen. The two friends stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

"Hey." He said after a moment.

"Hey yourself."

"I…I missed you today."

"I missed you too." She answered with another shy smile.

"For dinner I thought you could use some comfort food." He explained taking out a covered casserole dish. "I hope that you like shepherd's pie. It'll take a little bit for it to heat through. I also have one of those bags of salad."

"I love shepherd's pie. I just didn't know you could cook." She commented as he switched on her oven.

"Not all of us live on cupcakes, Audrey." He pointed out. Another awkward silence came over them as he waited for the stove to heat up. After a minute, he placed the food in the oven and set the timer.

"I picked up something for you on the way over here." He said, nervously handing her the smaller bag he'd brought in with the food. Audrey reached in and pulled out a deep blue throw blanket. The fabric was soft like the inside of a new sweatshirt.

"I noticed you didn't have one when I last came over," Nathan said with a shrug. "They're useful when you're reading or curled up watching TV. Especially when it's cold out. Not that I-"

Nathan was cut off by the unfamiliar, but welcome, sensation of Audrey's arms wrapping around his neck. He sensed himself relaxing as he carefully returned the hug.

"Thank you." She said as she laid her chin on his shoulder. For a man like Nathan, the blanket was the equivalent of flowers. It was a little gesture to let him know that he was thinking of her.

"Does this mean that I'm forgiven for making you stay home?" He asked, pulling her closer against him. Nathan couldn't remember the last time he felt the warmth of a hug or the softness of a woman's hair against his face. Audrey felt like magic.

"You were forgiven the moment I saw the cupcakes." Audrey assured him, pulling away enough to look him in the eye.

"I didn't like writing that note," he told her softly.

"Don't worry about it. I knew you were just trying to look out for me." Audrey replied. "Besides, for you and Duke to work together, I must have been in rough shape."

He nodded as she slowly pulled her arms away. Reluctantly, he let his arms drop to his sides. Audrey walked out to the couch to drape her new blanket over the top. Nathan followed her like a magnet, longing for the warmth he felt earlier to return. As he sat down next to her, he was able to see what Duke had meant earlier. Audrey was different. The confidence and determination that she normally carried was missing. It was like the light had gone out in her eyes. A weary, aching, and broken woman sat before him. The brave face she was trying to wear to hide that brokenness was a very thin mask. Who did she think she was fooling?

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Yeah, I crashed as soon as I got upstairs. I even slept later than normal because a power outage messed up my alarm." She answered, staring at her hands.

"Really? You don't seem rested. What's wrong?"

"I had a lot of bad dreams." She admitted, still focusing on her hands.

"Do you want to talk about them?" He asked. When she shook her head, he reached over and touched her hands lightly. The touch caused her to look him in the eye. That contact and the storm in her eyes was enough to push him forward.

"Audrey, it seemed like you weren't getting enough sleep even before yesterday. Have the nightmares been coming often?"

"Every night. People always die horribly, people I know and care about. I can't stop it." She found herself saying. It wasn't a truth she wanted to admit, especially to the man determining if she was fit to work. Yet, something in Nathan's tone and face didn't allow for lying.

"You could've come to me."

"And say what? That I need you to check under my bed for monsters?" Audrey retorted with a bitter laugh. "I'm not a child!"

"I didn't mean to say that you were." Nathan replied, taken aback by the hardness in her voice.

"Of course you didn't," she sighed. The hurt look in Nathan's eyes drained all the fight out of her. "I'm sorry. You don't need to worry about me."

"You're having nightmares every night that leave you looking like you haven't slept at all." He responded. "Apparently, I do need to worry."

"Nathan, really, I'm-"

"Don't you dare say that you're fine," Nathan growled. "You are so far from fine right now that it isn't even funny."

It was Audrey's turn to stare at him in shock. Nathan took a deep breath and began again in a calmer tone.

"Fine doesn't cover even a tenth of what you've been though. Fine doesn't cover watching five people in a row die, three of whom are friends. Fine doesn't cover reliving the same horrific day over and over until you feel like a zombie. Fine doesn't cover hating yourself so much that you begin to blame yourself for the troubles-which have been occurring since the town was built-when you're the only one who's able to do anything about them."

Tears began to form in her clear blue eyes. Tears he hated himself for. He steeled himself against them so that he could finish what needed to be said. If he wasn't in tears himself by that point, it would be a miracle.

"Fine doesn't cover watching your best friend's father literally blow apart. Fine doesn't cover that friend cruelly blaming you for his father's death when there was nothing you could've done to stop it. Fine doesn't cover a woman who has your life and memories show up and call you a fraud only to have her brain erased by a disappearing house. Fine doesn't cover they guy you liked being so self absorbed that he leaves when you're this broken instead of fighting for a chance to help you. And so help me, if you ever say again that he deserved better than you I will throw your keys, gun, and badge into the bay!"

Audrey sat there, frozen, tears spilling down her face. Nathan waited for her to explode, slap him, scream at him to get out, anything. Nothing came but the silent tears. Each drop that came from her eyes was like a needle into his heart. Not able to take the sight another minute, he pulled her into his arms and held her tight. A sob escaped from her as she buried her head where his neck met his shoulder. Another came then another until she was completely undone.

"I'm sorry, Audrey. I'm so sorry, but, you're not fine." He soothed. The thickness in his voice told him that a miracle hadn't occurred after all.

For the first time she could remember since she was a small child, Audrey allowed herself to be held while she cried. Nathan didn't try to stop the tears soaking into his shirt. They had to come out. He just held her until she was done. Slowly, the sobs died down to shudders and whimpers. Only when she was quietly resting against his chest did he ease his grip. To his great relief, she remained lying against him instead of pulling away. It gave him a moment to dash any dampness away from his own eyes.

"I think that my great plan to prove to you that I was back to normal just went out the window." She whispered.

Nathan's only response was to kiss her forehead. Her skin was softer than the white rose he'd felt during those blissful moments where Ian had taken his trouble. It was something he would've reveled in under other circumstances.

"Next time, you come to me before it gets this bad. Even if it is only to do this."

She nodded, nuzzling into his chest. His steady heartbeat, and the hand that was softly stroking her hair soothed her. Nathan's calming presence spread over her just like a blanket. They stayed that way until they heard the oven timer sound off. She moved away so he could take care of the food.

"Go wash your face," he told her gently, "I'll go take care of the food and the table."

While Audrey cleaned up, Nathan turned off the oven and located her plates, cups, and utensils. He set the table while the shepherd's pie cooled and made up a salad. When grabbing the pitcher of lemonade from the fridge, he noted that the two blueberry muffins remained untouched. He smiled in spite of what just happened in the living room. Someone had obviously ignored his comparison between breakfast food and snack food.

"Better now?" He asked, pulling out the chair for her.

"Yes. Thanks, really." She replied. He smiled and kissed her forehead again before taking his own seat.

"Before I forget, didn't I mention earlier that muffins are what people eat for breakfast?" He teased as he served her the pie and salad.

"Cupcakes are a sweeter variety of muffins." She returned, smiling sheepishly. He noted that while she still looked tired, her eyes were far calmer. It may take all night, but, he was getting his Audrey back.

"I'm going to need to make you dinner more often so you don't lapse into a diabetic coma." Nathan grumbled.

"If you keep making stuff this good, I just might let you." She agreed after a few bites. Nathan's response was to blush and push around his salad. Audrey found his unease to be adorable. They spent the rest of the meal on routine small town topics: Birth announcements, boating incidents, and how annoying it was that the Teagues kept leaving twitter advertisements everywhere.

"So what was your plan?" Nathan asked as they cleared the dishes from the table.

"Come again?"

"You great plan to prove that you were back to normal."

"Oh, you'd think it was stupid." Audrey deflected, blushing.

"No I won't." He promised. "Come on, tell me."

"Part of it was to challenge you to Chinese Checkers." She admitted, smiling sheepishly again. "I figured, if I could prove to you that I was with it enough to beat you, then, you would see that I could think straight,"

"Okay." He laughed. "No, don't look at me like that. I don't think that's stupid. I'm just curious as to how you came up with this plan."

"Duke noticed the board games you gave me earlier today. He mentioned that Chinese Checkers was your favorite when you were a kid."

"It was," he agreed, smiling as memories came back to him.

"Though, obviously, that wouldn't work now." She explained. "I think we both know I'm not okay."

"You will be, Audrey." He assured her. "It's not going to happen overnight, but, you're going to be okay. I'll do whatever I can to help you."

"Whether I like it or not, huh?" She teased.

"Especially then," he replied with a chuckle. "However, I promise that whenever that happens, to offset whatever I do with another carton of cupcakes."

She smiled and reached over to squeeze his hand. It was something she'd done many times in the past. A quick touch to let him know that she understood him. This time was different. Her hand stayed in his with her thumb rubbing gently across his knuckles. Nathan looked down at their joined hands to find that the suddenly did feel like a clueless and scared sixteen year old kid at the end of a dance. The sweet smile that played across her face put him back at ease.

"Audrey, there's, um, there's something I've wanted to do for a very long time."

"What is it?" She asked, her smile growing wider.

"Do you trust me?"

"Nathan you know that I do." She told him, stepping closer.

"Close your eyes, then." He replied softly.

Audrey laughed, but, did as he asked. Very gently, he placed his lips against hers. Instead of the resistance he'd feared, Audrey leaned into him and deepened the kiss. The sensations of his lips against hers and the silky hands passing over his face into his hair were more wonderful than he'd ever dreamed. When she finally pulled away, he felt like his breath went with her.

"Audrey," he said once he was able to breathe again. "Wow, I-"

"It's ok," she hushed, placing a finger on his lips. "I love you too."

He stared at her amazed. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, nestling her body against his.

"You've been telling me for a long time now in the ways you knew how. I just didn't realize it." She explained, kissing his neck. She delighted in the shudder that ran through his body.

"I knew that, if I just waited long enough, and kept trying, you'd hear me." He replied, running his hands over her hair and back.

"Thank you for being so patient with me." She whispered reaching up to kiss him again. Nathan was quickly taken to a place where there was no need for words.


End file.
